Gamboard Assembly

ABSTRACT

A gameboard assembly includes a housing having a bottom wall, a top wall and a perimeter wall. The top wall has a plurality of elongated slots extending therethrough. The slots form a continuous pattern of interconnected lines and the slots form a plurality of independent sections of the top wall completely removed from other sections of the top wall and from the perimeter wall. A plurality of game pieces is provided and each is moveable along the slots. The game pieces each include an upper member positioned above the top wall, a lower member positioned within the interior and a connection member extending between associated ones of the upper and lower member. Each of the upper and lower members has a size greater than a width of the slots such that the upper and lower members are inhibited from extending through the slots.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

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STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

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THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

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INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM

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STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (1) Field of the Invention (2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98

The disclosure and prior art relates to game piece aligning gameboard devices and more particularly pertains to a new game piece aligning gameboard device for playing a game having a goal of game piece alignment.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a housing that has a bottom wall, a top wall and a perimeter wall that is attached to and extends between the top and bottom walls. An interior space is defined between the top and bottom walls. The top wall has a plurality of elongated slots extending therethrough. The slots form a continuous pattern of interconnected lines such that all slots are in communication with other ones of the slots. The slots form a plurality of independent sections of the top wall completely removed from other sections of the top wall and from the perimeter wall. A plurality of supports is attached to the bottom wall and is positioned within the housing. Each of the independent sections is attached to and supported above the bottom wall by one of the supports. A plurality of game pieces is provided and each is moveable along the slots. The game pieces each include an upper member positioned above the top wall, a lower member positioned within the interior and a connection member extending between associated ones of the upper and lower member. Each of the upper and lower members has a size greater than a width of the slots such that the upper and lower members are inhibited from extending through the slots.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a gameboard assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a top view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the disclosure taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the disclosure taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 4 thereof, a new game piece aligning gameboard device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 4, the gameboard assembly 10 generally comprises a housing 12 having a bottom wall 14, a top wall 16 and a perimeter wall 18 that is attached to and extends between the top 16 and bottom 14 walls. An interior space 20 is defined between the top 16 and bottom 14 walls. The top wall 16 may have any shape though, particularly the top wall 16 will typically have a rectangular or square shape. A size of the top wall 16 will generally be between 6.0 inches by 6.0 inches and 24.0 inches by 24.0 inches with the housing 12 having a height of less than 4.0 inches. The top wall 16 has a plurality of elongated slots 22 extending therethrough each having a width being less than 0.5 inches. The slots 22 form a continuous pattern of interconnected lines such that all slots 22 are in communication with other ones of the slots 22. The lines each are straight and together form a geometric shape.

The geometric shape may more specifically include an outer perimeter 30 having a square shape. The outer perimeter 30 includes a first corner 31, a second corner 32, a third corner 33, and a fourth corner 34 wherein the first 31 and third 33 corners are positioned opposite of each other. The outer perimeter 30 includes a first midpoint 35 positioned between the first corner 31 and the second corner 32, a second midpoint 36 positioned between the second corner 32 and the third corner 33, a third midpoint 37 positioned between the third corner 33 and the fourth corner 34 and a fourth midpoint 38 positioned between the fourth corner 34 the first corner 31.

The geometric shape further includes a pair of diagonals 39, 40 extending between opposite corners of the outer perimeter 30. A longitudinal line 41 extends between the first 35 and third 37 midpoints and a latitudinal line 42 extends between the second 36 and fourth 38 midpoints. A plurality of bypass lines are also included such that the outer perimeter 30 bounds a plurality of interior triangles. The bypass lines include a first bypass line 43 extending between the first 35 and second 36 midpoints, a second bypass line 44 extending between the second 36 and third 37 midpoints, a third bypass line 45 extending between the third 37 and fourth 38 midpoints, and a fourth bypass line 46 extending between the fourth 38 and first 35 midpoints.

The geometric shape forms a plurality of independent sections 50 of the top wall 16 that are completely removed from other sections of the top wall 16 and from the perimeter wall 18 and thus are “floating” with respect to a peripheral section of the top wall 16 abutting the perimeter wall 18. A plurality of supports 51 is attached to the bottom wall 14 and each is positioned within the housing 12. Each of the independent sections 50 is attached to and supported above the bottom wall 14 by at least one of the supports 51. The supports 51 may be forked such that each support 51 is attached to multiple ones of the independent sections 50.

A plurality of game pieces 60 is provided. Each of the game pieces 60 is moveable along the slots 22. The game pieces 60 each include an upper member 61 positioned above the top wall 16, a lower member 62 positioned within the interior 20 and a connection member 63 attached to and extending between associated ones of the upper 61 and lower 62 members. Each of the upper 61 and lower 62 members has a size greater than a width of the slots 22 such that the upper 61 and lower 62 members are inhibited from extending through the slots 22. Each of the connection members 63 is flexible and may comprise a tether. The plurality of game pieces 60 may include only six game pieces though a greater number of game pieces 60 may be provided should the geometric shape include a greater number of lines and intersection points of the lines. Each of the game pieces 60 is colored a color. In the embodiment shown in the Figures wherein only six game pieces are utilized, one half the game pieces 60 includes the upper members 61 colored a first color and another half of the game pieces 60 includes the upper members 61 colored a second color. Each of the upper members 61 may have a spherical shape and each may be comprised of a resilient compressible material.

In use, the gameboard assembly 10 is primarily used for playing a game which is similar to tic-tac-toe. The game pieces 60 may start in a straight line, but the players must move the game pieces 60 along the slots 22 in an effort to win the game by placing them in a new straight line with respect to each other. The game pieces 60 are more specifically moved from intersection point to intersection point. The intersection points are the corners of the outer perimeter 30, the midpoints 35-38, and a central point where the diagonals 39, 40 intersect each other. The bypass lines 43-46 allow a player to move their game pieces 60 around other ones of the game pieces 60.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements. 

1. A gameboard assembly for playing an alignment game, said gameboard assembly comprising: a housing having a bottom wall, a top wall and a perimeter wall being attached to and extending between said top and bottom walls, an interior space being defined between said top and bottom walls, said top wall having a plurality of elongated slots extending therethrough, said slots forming a continuous pattern of interconnected lines such that all slots are in communication with other ones of said slots; said slots forming a plurality of independent sections of said top wall completely removed from other sections of said top wall and from said perimeter wall; a plurality of supports being attached to said bottom wall and being positioned within said housing, each of said independent sections being attached to and supported above said bottom wall by one of said supports; and a plurality of game pieces, each of said game pieces being moveable along said slots, said game pieces each including an upper member positioned above said top wall, a lower member positioned within said interior and a connection member extending between associated ones of said upper and lower members, each of said connection members being flexible, each of said connection members being a vertically oriented cylinder having a continuous cylindrical outer surface extending fully between said upper and lower members, each of said connection members having a length complementary to a depth of said slots such that said lower member is positioned adjacent to said top wall when said upper member rests on said top wall, each of said upper and lower members having a size greater than a width of said slots such that said upper and lower members are inhibited from extending through said slots.
 2. The gameboard assembly according to claim 1, wherein said lines each being straight.
 3. The gameboard assembly according to claim 2, wherein said lines form a geometric shape.
 4. The gameboard assembly according to claim 3, wherein said geometric shape includes: an outer perimeter having a square shape, said outer perimeter including a first corner, a second corner, a third corner, and a fourth corner wherein said first and third corners are positioned opposite of each other, said outer perimeter including a first midpoint positioned between said first corner and said second corner, a second midpoint positioned between said second corner and said third corner, a third midpoint positioned between said third corner and said fourth corner and a fourth midpoint positioned between said fourth corner said first corner; a pair of diagonals extending between opposite corners of said outer perimeter; a longitudinal line extending between said first and third midpoints; and a latitudinal line extending between said second and fourth midpoints.
 5. The gameboard assembly according to claim 4, wherein said geometric shape further includes: a first bypass line extending between said first and second midpoints; a second bypass line extending between said second and third midpoints; a third bypass line extending between said third and fourth midpoints; and a fourth bypass line extending between said fourth and first midpoints.
 6. (canceled)
 7. The gameboard assembly according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of game pieces includes six game pieces, each of said game pieces being colored a color wherein one half said game pieces include said upper members being colored a first color and another half of said game pieces include said upper members being colored a second color.
 8. The gameboard assembly according to claim 7, wherein each of said upper members has a spherical shape.
 9. A gameboard assembly for playing an alignment game, said gameboard assembly comprising: a housing having a bottom wall, a top wall and a perimeter wall being attached to and extending between said top and bottom walls, an interior space being defined between said top and bottom walls, said top wall having a plurality of elongated slots extending therethrough, said slots forming a continuous pattern of interconnected lines such that all slots are in communication with other ones of said slots, said lines each being straight and forming a geometric shape, said geometric shape including: an outer perimeter having a square shape, said outer perimeter including a first corner, a second corner, a third corner, and a fourth corner wherein said first and third corners are positioned opposite of each other, said outer perimeter including a first midpoint positioned between said first corner and said second corner, a second midpoint positioned between said second corner and said third corner, a third midpoint positioned between said third corner and said fourth corner and a fourth midpoint positioned between said fourth corner said first corner; a pair of diagonals extending between opposite corners of said outer perimeter; a longitudinal line extending between said first and third midpoints; a latitudinal line extending between said second and fourth midpoints; a first bypass line extending between said first and second midpoints; a second bypass line extending between said second and third midpoints; a third bypass line extending between said third and fourth midpoints; a fourth bypass line extending between said fourth and first midpoints; said geometric shape forming a plurality of independent sections of said top wall completely removed from other sections of said top wall and from said perimeter wall; a plurality of supports being attached to said bottom wall and being positioned within said housing, each of said independent sections being attached to and supported above said bottom wall by one of said supports; a plurality of game pieces, each of said game pieces being moveable along said slots, said game pieces each including an upper member positioned above said top wall, a lower member positioned within said interior and a connection member extending between associated ones of said upper and lower members, each of said upper and lower members having a size greater than a width of said slots such that said upper and lower members are inhibited from extending through said slots, each of said connection members being flexible, each of said connection members being a vertically oriented cylinder having a continuous cylindrical outer surface extending fully between said upper and lower members, each of said connection members having a length complementary to a depth of said slots such that said lower member is positioned adjacent to said top wall when said upper member rests on said top wall; and said plurality of game pieces including six game pieces, each of said game pieces being colored a color wherein one half said game pieces include said upper members being colored a first color and another half of said game pieces include said upper members being colored a second color, each of said upper members having a spherical shape. 